In Praise Of

“In these brave, important photographs, Lindsay Morris captures gender non-conforming children’s astonishing joy and predictable pain. Her subjects are pioneers, and their faces will reassure anxious young people and terrified parents facing the complexities of transition and self-acceptance, thereby opening up possibility where there has been too much despair. Morris is the responsible, kind, and honest translator of these boys’ and girls' experience into nuanced images of transcendent beauty.”

-Andrew Solomon, National Book Award-Winning author of Far from the Tree: Parents, Children, and the Search for Identity

“How great to live in a day and age where kids can express exactly who they are at a camp...that celebrates humanity, love and acceptance. There's no way you won't walk away from this book feeling like your mind has been opened; I am so glad it exists!

-Andy Cohen, talk show host of Bravo’s Watch What Happens: Live and author of Most Talkative: Stories from the Front Lines of Pop Culture.

“Lindsay Morris’ photos are something we’ve not seen before, fresh, original, a wake up call reminding parents and educators to support our children on their journey to self-discovery.

Her images are fierce, vulnerable, charged with the excitement of each child’s individuality unleashed and bear witness to the complexity, beauty, suspense of identity and how it unfolds—a stunning reminder of how knowing children are about their own experience of themselves.”

-A.M. Homes, Winner 2013 Women's Prize-Orange Prize for the novel, May We Be Forgiven

“If a picture speaks a thousand words, this unique book of beautiful photographs by Lindsay Morris speaks volumes about a difficult and little talked about subject, gender non-conforming children. Here in this weekend summer camp they are allowed to safely explore their innermost feelings and share them with kindred spirits. This book sheds light on these beautiful young people and their families, whose love and understanding has helped create this remarkable place.”

–Nathan Lane, actor and writer

“With her photographs, Lindsay Morris guides us on a journey into the unseen world of a camp for gender creative children and their families. Delicately revealed is a secret garden that opens our eyes to the honesty and courage of these children. The images serve as a portal with the intention of paving a road free of judgment so that we may experience openheartedly, a new kind of normal.”

“Lindsay Morris releases magic in the images she captures of gender-variant children rejoicing in the freedom to rest transparently in the grace that gave them rise. To be invited so intimately into a child’s natural state of joyous wonder-no shame or defiance or fear, just children being able to express who they are-is a rarity and a revelation and an invitation to rejoice: finally there are safe harbors for children to name themselves and be who they are.”

-Laura Albert, a.k.a. JT LeRoy, author of Sarah and The Heart Is Deceitful Above All Things

“Lindsay Morris’s series You Are You has been seen as both profound and controversial, a glimpse into a safe haven where children can express themselves, and their parents have the chance to share their experiences. When stripped away from all of the labels and reviews, what Morris has created with these charming photographs is an opportunity to relive a universal childhood experience of innocence.”

-David Rosenberg, editor, Slate Magazine’s photo blog, Behold

“If the progressive political struggles of the 1970’s taught me anything, it was that waiting for a more auspicious time to take action was ineffectual. For a gender fluid child and their support network - waiting for a better social climate is likely too late for them. Lindsay Morris’ photographic book and traveling exhibit You Are You asks us to consider our options in visibly creating a safe space now for an idea whose time has come.”

“You Are You, is a beautiful achievement by photographer, Lindsay Morris. Her photographs welcome us to a world in which the freedom of exploration through gender nonconformity is celebrated. When the images were first shown in the New York Times, the biggest complement came from my then 10- year-old son; “Mom I want to go to that camp.”

-Catherine Opie, artist and Professor of Art UCLA

“These photographs, simply and effectively, capture the gestures, the shapes and the full landscape of difference that gender-nonconforming children create and inhabit. By bringing the playful and the serious forms of gender-nonconformity into view without subjecting them to the pathologizing gaze of incomprehension, Morris allows us to catch glimpses of a new and wondrous world of wide-ranging gender expressions. The images open us up to ourselves as much as to the children and they make gender strange and familiar all at once. Phenomenal!

-Jack Halberstam, author of The Queer Art of Failure and Female Masculinity